Computers have become highly integrated in the workforce, in the home, in mobile devices, and many other places. Computers can process massive amounts of information quickly and efficiently. Software applications designed to run on computer systems allow users to perform a wide variety of functions including business applications, schoolwork, entertainment and more. Software applications are often designed to perform specific tasks, such as word processor applications for drafting documents, or email programs for sending, receiving and organizing email.
In some cases, software applications are designed to implement various forms of metadata. This metadata may be represented by different metadata types. The different types may be used for different users, based on which metadata type each user is expecting to see. In such situations, multiple different metadata files are typically stored and used to provide the various metadata types. Storing and implementing such an array of metadata files may lead to inefficiencies in retrieving and applying the correct metadata file.